Microdosing A Practical Approach To Programming in Professional Basketball
Microdosing A Practical Approach To Programming in Professional Basketball
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DOI: 10.37722/AOASM.2022101
Received Date: January 20, 2022; Accepted Date: January 27, 2022; Published Date: February 07, 2022
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Corresponding author: Dr. Brian Serrano, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy Hoffman Estates, IL 60192,
Email: [email protected]
the mid-point between volume and intensity [25]. As the in- Schlesinger have led the charge in the NBA setting which has
season approaches, this is where hypertrophy and strength trickled to the G-League and some European Basketball
gains are transformed into power and explosive strength [26] leagues. In its simplest terms, microdosing seeks to find the
While this approach is logical, it uses the assumption that minimal stimulus needed to achieve the desired stimulus
athletic progress is linear and predictable. Furthermore, the (strength, power, endurance) [32]. This resonates within the
schedule and travel demand of professional basketball mean professional setting because of time restrictions, travel
coaches will not have access to their home facility for at least demands, and game density. Furthermore, this gives the
half of the season and may have to utilize visiting team strength and conditioning coach the ability to establish buy-in
facilities or hotel gyms of which standards and equipment are and foster relationships with the athletes [34]. The modern
unknown. This is the greatest challenge of using linear weight room transcends the stigma of being merely weights
periodization in professional basketball. and emphasizing muscular hypertrophy. Instead, the modern
weight room as it relates to basketball is a place to improve
Non-Linear Periodization jumping/landing mechanics, assess neuromuscular readiness,
and create resilient athletes. As the Basketball strength and
Also known as undulating periodization, non-linear conditioning coach strives to find the time to fill all the
periodization grew as an alternative to the regiment of linear buckets, the pressing question becomes when all of this can be
periodization [27]. Undulating periodization can be implemented accomplished. This is where microdosing can play a role. For
into mesocycles or daily training cycles [28]. The term example, where the traditional weight room or court
undulating means “varying”, that sets, volume, and intensity conditioning session can last from 45-60 minutes, a micro
can be changed to meet the evolving needs of athletes. For session may last from 15-25 minutes [33]. This means that
example, while linear periodization would state in-season from a time standpoint, less time is spent in the weight room
strength and conditioning sessions should consist of low- and more time on the court working on skill, off-court
volume, high-intensity work. Undulating periodization could recovering, or promoting work-life balance for the athlete.
be used in the setting of professional basketball because not all From a volume and intensity standpoint, volume decreases but
players obtain the same playing time [29]. For example, the 5 the stimulus is maintained either through higher frequency
starters will most likely play 35-40 minutes while the second (multiple sessions per week) or higher intensity [35].
line and role players may clock between 10-25 minutes [30]. Microdosing seems to be adaptable in that it may follow linear
This means that volume and intensity can’t be generally used or non-linear periodization yet more closely follows the
with all players because the intended stimulus will be much variety of non-linear periodization [35]. This method can also
different. As described by Bove, higher minute athletes should serve as an alternative when it comes to efficiency because
focus on recovery and keeping their skills sharp [31]. While even at the professional level, there may only be 2 full time
lower minute athletes have the wiggle room to add in volume strength and conditioning coaches. Serving athletes in 15–25-
or intensity into the sessions to keep their fitness and readiness minute increments allow for further individuality of
levels high [30]. The differing needs of the professional programming, greater focus for the coach/athlete, and being
basketball team means that non-linear periodization may be efficient with the overall practice plan. The next section will
useful, however, the amount of time spent in each session (45- give practical examples of each philosophy with
60 minutes) may still be too long for optimal performance on comparison/contrasts.
the court. For example, the traditional 45–60-minute session
may impose too much stress on the body without giving proper Linear Periodization (In-Season)
time for rest and recover. Furthermore, the ultimate goal of
strength and conditioning is to improve on court performance In the NBA, 82games are played throughout the regular
which may not be possible if the athlete is fatigued. season with a weekly average of 3.4 [36]. This can increase to
100 if the team goes to the post-season (playoffs). This can
Microdosing make keeping a consistent program in the weight room
difficult, especially with the uncertainty of visiting team
The term microdosing has transformed from many facilities and hotel gyms. The average weight room session in-
iterations from researchers and coaches such as David Joyce season can last from 45-60 minutes and focuses on explosive
(High Performance Training for Sports 2021) [32], Daniel strength/power. This translates into an average twice a week
Bove (The Quadrant System, 2021) [30], and Bill Burgos with session characterized by low volume and high intensity lifting.
Javair Gillett (Strength Training for Basketball, 2021) [33]. Please see (Table 1) for the detailed explanation.
From a practical framework, Geoffrey Puls and Cory
Table 1: In-season Linear Periodization (focus on converting max strength into power).
Non-Linear Periodization (In-Season): Using the does not. This allows the strength and conditioning coach to
undulating model as the next example, this strength and better assess and meet the needs of their athletes throughout
conditioning session would last the same amount of time (45- the season. For example, in the event a low minute athlete (<20
60 minutes). Frequency would also be similar at 2-3x/week. minutes) must quickly step into the starting rotation, this
The biggest differences between linear and non-linear would impact their post-game or next day session. It is in
periodization would be the volume and intensity set for each events like these where the non-linear philosophy shines and
session. While linear periodization already has a regimented can be very useful to the sports performance staff (table 2).
amount of intensity and volume set, non-linear periodization
Table 2: In-season Non-linear Periodization (focus on converting max strength into power).
Microdosing (In-season) exercise can lead to greater levels of muscular soreness [38].
This is the foundation of “active-recovery” seen when after
A potent way to overcome the demands of professional game days athletes will ride the bike or go on light runs; this
basketball while still giving each athlete adequate stimulus is to expedite the removal of metabolic waste from the body
may be through Microdosing. Microdosing states that volume which is partially responsible for delayed onset muscle
and intensity can be manipulated daily if needed but focuses soreness [38]. Microdosing can keep athletes moving 3-4 days
on short sessions (15-25 minutes) to keep frequency higher. per week instead of the usual 1-2 (in-season professional
This has the psychological benefit of encouraging athletes to basketball standard) so they can remain loose and fresh leading
get into the weight room as this can be a challenge regarding into games. Lastly, by having all athletes in the weight room
compliance [37]. Also, this approach allows for volume and 3-4 times per week, the gap between high and low-minute
intensity to be kept more consistent which is vital during in- players can be minimized to maintain comparable fitness
season. It has been found that lack of physical activity and levels within the whole team (Table 3).
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Citation: Comer M, leshner T, Puls G, Serrano B (2022) Microdosing: A Practical Approach to Programming in
Professional Basketball. Adv Ortho and Sprts Med: AOASM-157.